


Reunions

by DualWieldingCousland (DualWieldingMama)



Series: Regan Shepard's Story [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 05:46:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5900611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DualWieldingMama/pseuds/DualWieldingCousland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was originally written as soon as I finished Mass Effect 3 (before the Citadel DLC came out).  I hadn’t looked at it until today, and I was trying to fix it, but I think I’m giving up on that idea.  So I’ve broken it up into sort of “chapters” and will post them with only the slightest alterations.  And one day, I’ll try to go back and actually rewrite the thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out of the Ashes

“Ow,” Regan Shepard groaned, shifting amid the rubble piled on top of and around her.   _Everything_ hurt.  Things she didn’t know could hurt, did.  But she was alive, wasn’t she?  She wouldn’t be feeling pain if she weren’t alive … right?  She’d just saved the world … several worlds, hadn’t she?  So this couldn’t be hell, and heaven wouldn’t be filled with nothing but pain.

“Captain, we’ve got another survivor!”

“She looks pretty bad.  Can we get her out?”

“Wait, is that …?  Could it really be her?”

“ _Commander Shepard_?!  It is her!  Quick, get her free!”

Regan could hear strange voices … could make out silhouettes amid the dust and debris floating around her field of vision.  Some of the voices seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place them.  What was going on?  Were the Reapers gone?  Did they win?  Why couldn’t she feel … well, a _lot_ of bits.  “Who … who are you?” she mouthed while trying to reach her gun.  Was she even speaking?  Could they hear her?  They apparently knew her, but did that mean they were on her side?  Why couldn’t she find her gun?  Was she actually moving?

“It’s alright, Commander,” a feminine voice said.  It was familiar, comforting.  She _knew_ that voice, had shared many an evening just sitting … chatting about men and battles and life and … well, everything.  She wasn’t quite used to that particular voice being quite so soothing.  “We’re going to get you out of here and patched up.”

“Ka – Kasumi?” Regan whispered, willing herself to focus.  If Kasumi was here, that _had_ to mean they won, didn’t it?  She wouldn’t be … wherever … if the Reapers had won.  “Did we win?  Where … where’s Kaidan?”  Once she realized that she was alive and could think straight, she knew she had to find him.  He had to know she was OK.  He couldn’t be dead; he had to be somewhere, waiting for her.  She couldn’t … _wouldn’t_ let him think she was dead … again.

“We … we don’t know where he is,” the young woman admitted sadly.  She watched as medics worked to unearth Shepard as quickly and safely as possible and loaded her onto a stretcher.  She didn’t look to be as badly injured as feared, but it would still take a great deal of time to heal.  Thankfully, some of the council’s best doctors were still on earth, and Miranda was still around.   _She_ had access to the equipment they’d need and lots of money that used to belong to Cerberus.  “We … we lost contact with the ship when the Citadel exploded.  We don’t know where they are.  But the Reapers _are_ gone!”

“ _What_?!”  Regan tried to sit up.  This was more than she could handle.  Her ship was … _gone_?  Her ship and … and … all her friends?   _And_ Kaidan?  They were just … _gone_?  No, no, no, no no.  She had to find a way to get back to him; had to get going.  But she couldn’t move.  She could feel her body trying to react, but it just … wouldn’t.  “What do you mean you don’t know where they are?  And why can’t I move? I _have_ to get to Kaidan.”  At least the Reapers wouldn’t be back, though that was small consolation.

“You can’t move because you’re strapped to a gurney,” Zaeed growled, appearing out of nowhere.  The mercenary strode over the two women, fighting the urge to crack a smile.  Shepard was the _only_ person in a long time who’d managed to crack his tough exterior and the news she was alive was an astounding relief.  And Kasumi wasn’t half bad, as long as she wasn’t trying to sneak something out of his pockets.

“I … I have to find Kaidan,” Regan groaned, willing her limbs to fight against her restraints … and whatever else was keeping them still.  She knew it couldn’t _just_ be the straps holding her down; she couldn’t even feel the fabric.  “I … I promised.”  She _needed_ to see him, needed to know he was alive and alright.  She needed him to see she was alive – broken, but alive.

“You have to heal, first.”  Zaeed pointed out the obvious, shaking his head.  He had to give her credit; she was a fighter.  A normal person would have just laid there, whining about being in pain or not being able to feel their limbs.  But not Shepard; she was trying to get moving, trying to do things she felt she needed to.  “Besides, it will take time to find the Normandy.”  He glanced over at Kasumi and sighed.  “If we can find the Normandy.”  He took over for Kasumi, maneuvering the gurney through the crumbling building serving as the hospital.  It was in better shape than most of London, and the medics had been assured that it would _not_ collapse on them.

“We will,” a new voice assured them.  It was another feminine voice, full of confidence and swagger.  Regan _knew_ that voice too.  It was the same voice she’d heard the last time she was waking up from what she tried to think of as simply a prolonged sleep.  Though, the last time had been much more of a shock, and might have been a much _longer_ sleep.

“We … we have to stop … meeting like this,” Regan forced out, again trying to sit up.  She hated being stuck like this.  She needed to be up, moving … finding a way to track the Normandy.  She needed to find a way back to _him_.  Why couldn’t she move?  “Miranda, I _need_ to ….”

Miranda shook her head and fought back a smile.  Even after all this time, Shepard hadn’t changed a bit.  She refused to believe she needed to rest, needed to heal.  “You _need_ to just lay there and rest for a blasted minute,” the former Cerberus agent instructed.  “We _can_ fix you, and … if you did what we discussed, finding the Normandy will be a thousand times easier.”  She’d been surprised at Shepard’s request, originally.  It seemed like such a frivolous thing - creating pieces of jewelry that could double as a sort of tracking device _and_ a sort of mental link.  But smuggled Cerberus funds and equipment in a base hidden on Earth had made the project surprisingly easy.  And it should work, even without the relays.

“He has it,” Regan replied, trying to nod.  “As long as … he was … on the Normandy … we should be good.”  She’d almost forgotten to give Kaidan the pendant.  All their work … her planning … would have been for nothing if that’d happened.  But she’d given it to him; put it around his neck and tucked it into his armor herself.  She knew he’d keep it safe.  “And I’ve still got my medallion.”  The medallion she wore was her way of making sure she had a connection to that pendant.  She didn’t understand all the details; that had been a Miranda & EDI thing.  But she knew enough, and she knew she needed that medallion to make the thing work.

“Good.  I’ll have someone get to work on setting up the link,” Miranda nodded, motioning for several medics to come over.  “Now, let’s get you patched up.”  She pointed them in the direction of a well-sealed room and went to find Padok Wiks.  The Salarians may be an excitable bunch, but they _were_ smart, and he was one of their best, and right now, Shepard needed the best.  It was going to be tough to bring her back from this, but if anyone could pull through, it was Regan Shepard.  


	2. There's a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At this point, Regan Shepard has been found and hauled off to be fixed, again. She’s … not the greatest patient. And we finally get to see what happened to Kaidan. (note, I life fluff, so there will be fluff.)

Months passed before Miranda deemed it safe for her to leave the sealed room.  There were tests to run, life-signs to monitor and exams to be done before Regan was judged completely recovered.  Then there was the rehab.  But, eventually, she was assured all was well.  She had been rebuilt, again, though they’d had an easier time of it this go-round; Miranda had had some practice at this, and her internal organs weren’t nearly as badly charred as the first time.  

“Do we have a ship?”  She _needed_ to get going.  It had been absolute hell waiting to be cleared by the medical team; she was too used to pushing through her injuries to be ok with all the waiting.  And Kaidan was out there … _somewhere_ … thinking she was dead, again.  Blast it all, she’d _promised_ him that wouldn’t happen this time.  She _had_ to get to him.  But Miranda had insisted, and she’d stationed Zaeed and Grunt, of all people, at the door to prevent an early escape.

“We do.”  Miranda glanced at a clipboard and pursed her lips.  “The trip will be rougher than you’re used to; FTL travel isn’t nearly as smooth as the relays, but that’s what stasis pods are for, I suppose; won’t feel a thing.”  She sighed, checking the numbers again.  According to her calculations, it would take nearly four months to reach the planet that the techs had determined the Normandy crashed, _if_ the tracker Shepard had given Kaidan was correct.  “We even have a pilot for the ship.  He’s not quite as skilled as Joker, but he’ll suffice.”

“Thanks, Miranda.”  Steve Cortez shook his head as he entered the room.  It was actually quite high praise from the woman, all things considered.  He’d jumped at the opportunity to pilot the ship Shepard was going to be taking.  He missed the Normandy crew but more importantly, he knew how hard it was to be separated from someone you loved.  She’d helped him through his grief for Robert when he hadn’t asked … or expected … anyone to.  It allowed him to come to terms with things enough to move on; he was currently seeing the man who would be acting as the new ship’s mechanic.  “We’ll be running on auto for a lot of the trip, anyway.  I just hope wherever they are has a decent landing area.  This poor thing doesn’t maneuver nearly as well as the shuttles from the Normandy.”

“Cortez!” Shepard exclaimed, lurching forward to hug the man.  She probably would have fallen flat on her face had he not been close enough to actually catch her.  It was good to see him; the last time she _remembered_ speaking to him was when the shuttle crashed.  “I’m glad to see you.”  She’d been worried her crew would be full of people she’d never met; it would be nice to have someone to talk to who had been there for at least _some_ of the ride beforehand.  Miranda, Kasumi and Zaeed had all decided to stay behind.

“You too, Commander,” Cortez grinned, keeping an arm around her.  He guided her through a few bustling corridors and finally toward the new ship, giving her a rundown of the specs and crew.  He’d made an effort to meet as many as possible, knowing Shepard would have other things on her mind, especially at first.  Most were people she’d never met, but there were a few familiar faces.  Dr. Chakwas would be on board – _someone_ had to keep an eye on Shepard’s continued recovery, as would Wrex and Grunt and the few krogan forces that had survived.  The current plan was to take the krogan back to Tuchanka once they’d managed to locate the Normandy and pick up her crew.  
        ~~~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

“Kaidan, take a break, will you?” Garrus tried to pry the human away from yet another console.  The man had been working almost nonstop since they’d crashed.  Sure, he’d gotten some of the Normandy’s computers functioning, but they wouldn’t be able to do anything substantial without a working ship.  They were stuck on this planet, whether they liked it or not.  And … and Shepard was gone.  There was no way she could have survived that explosion.  It hurt to think, but … she’d sacrificed herself, again, so that the Reapers _wouldn’t_ win.  She’d done what she had set out to do.  “You need to rest, or you’re just going to collapse.”

“Headaches come back if I stop,” was all Kaidan said.  If he stopped working, if he let himself stop focusing on the ship’s repairs, the headaches returned with a vengeance and there was nothing he could do to stop them.  Well, that wasn’t entirely true.  There was one other thing that stopped the headaches: thinking about _her_.  But when he did that, his heart hurt instead.  It had been almost a year since she had all but shoved him onto the Normandy; his injuries her excuse not to bring him along, and the only time he still heard her voice was in his dreams.  He couldn’t get the ship in flying shape.  The communication functions were still too badly damaged to even try and reach anyone back on Earth … or anywhere else.  And the relays … he didn’t even want to _think_ about how he’d get back to her without the relays working.

“You know she wouldn’t want this.”  Garrus sighed softly and dropped a hand onto Kaidan’s shoulder.  He missed her too, but working oneself to death wasn’t going to bring her back.  “We’ll find a way back to Earth.  You’ll see her again, but you _have_ to take care of yourself.  She’ll be very put out with you if you make yourself sick before you find her.”  He didn’t want to try and convince his friend that she was dead, no matter what he believed.  Given what he’d seen from Kaidan this far made him think the man would honestly crack if he ever stopped believing Regan Shepard was alive.

Maybe Garrus was right; maybe he should get some sleep.  Maybe he could come up with a way to fix the communications or something once he’d let himself wind down … just a little.  “Alright,” he sighed, shoving away from the ship’s console.  “I’ll take a short nap.”  Ignoring the turian’s smug smile, he stumbled his way to his makeshift bunk.  Now that he wasn’t staring at flashing lights and electronics, the tiredness was overwhelming.  Reaching up to hold the pendant she’d given him before the final charge, he closed his eyes and tried to let sleep take him.

_“I’m coming for you.”_

_“Shepard?”_

_“Kaidan?”_

_“Shepard, is that you?  Where … where are you?”_

_“Kaidan, we’re almost there, wait for me.”_

He sat up like a switch had been thrown.  That had been her voice, right?  He’d heard _her_ , almost as if she was right next to him.  Sure, he’d heard her voice in his dreams before, but never quite like that.  It was usually just replaying conversations from the past: their first mission together, that first night they’d bunked together, their first and only real date after beating Saren and Sovereign where they’d talked about going to see his parents, their less than perfect meeting on Horizon, the face-off on the Citadel when he’d shot Udina, the last time they’d bunked together, that last kiss on Earth … and watching her push for that strange beam of light while James and Garrus had held him back.  But this, this was different.  She’d said she was coming for him.  Could … could that really be true?  He had to find Garrus … or Dr. Michel.  Maybe he was just finally going insane.


	3. A Long Time Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regan’s on the ground and following a blip. Kaidan’s on the ground … and following a blip. James is nose-to-muzzle with an assault rifle. And, it’s apparently Kaidan’s birthday. Heck of a way to celebrate, no?

She knew that voice.  She was pretty sure she knew _both_ voices, but she was sure she _knew_ that voice.  Knew what it sounded like in casual conversation.   Knew what it sounded like barking orders to soldiers under his command.  Knew what it sounded like breathing her name, moaning under and over and all around her.  She knew that voice … was _his_ … the one she’d been aching to hear again.  And the closer one was James; how could she forget?  “Grunt, put that gun down!”  Regan fought to keep her voice calm but failed miserably, and really didn’t care.  “Radio Cortez, tell him we found them!”  She reached out to nudge the krogan’s rifle away from her friend’s face and suddenly found herself engulfed in a hug.

With just a _little_ grumbling, Grunt did as ordered.   _He_ thought it was funny, greeting them with the rifle.   James wrapped his arms around the woman and laughed.  He couldn’t believe it was really _her_.  He’d been expecting a group of mercs, especially after coming face to face with the gun, and was honestly _almost_ disappointed that he wouldn’t get to bash some heads.  But Commander Shepard being here was good too.  “Good to see you again, Lola,” he grinned, setting her down.  It was high time the major had some good news.

“You too, James,” Regan grinned.  She couldn’t believe she’d managed to find them.  Their plan had actually _worked_.  That was almost a first.  “You remember Grunt, right?”  She gestured toward the krogan behind her as she looked around for the source of the other voice.  Then she saw _him_ , and everything else just … disappeared.

Kaidan just … stared.  The red-head was wearing … what _was_ she wearing?  It wasn’t Alliance.  It … almost looked like the roughly assembled outfit he’d seen on a lot of colonists.  But she _did_ have her N7 hoodie; he’d recognize _that_ anywhere.  Was it really … could it _really_ be … “Shepard?” he croaked, dropping his rifle as he stumbled forward.  He had to touch her, hold her, smell her; he _needed_ to know she was real, that this wasn’t just another dream.  

She didn’t care how silly she looked.  Once she saw the man she’d come all this way for, she started scrambling toward him.  There couldn’t have been more than a few yards between them, but somehow … it seemed like miles.  Then, suddenly, there was no more distance to close.  She felt his arms wrap around her and his body press against hers.  She clung to him as if her life depended on it.  In a way, it might have.  “Kaidan,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

He couldn’t believe it.  She was really there, repeating his name over and over again against his skin.  She was in his arms, right where she belonged.  She still smelled the same, felt the same; he couldn’t forget the way she fit against him.  It was just … right.  “God, Shepard … Regan,” he whimpered, fighting back tears.  “I … I couldn’t … I didn’t … I missed you, so much.”  There were so many clever things he’d wanted to say, lighten the moment, hear her laugh.  But they all flew from his mind once she was right there.

James sighed and just shook his head.  “Let’s give these two some privacy.”

“Something could attack while they’re distracted.”

“I feel sorry for _anything_ interrupting the two of them right now.  Why don’t you show me where your ship is?”  James gently nudged Grunt back in the direction he and Shepard had come from.  “Besides, I’d kind of like to avoid getting a cavity from all … _this_.”

“Fine.”  Grunt looked absolutely disgruntled about having to leave Shepard behind, but Vega’s argument _did_ make sense.  After he barely managed to get Regan’s attention to let her know they were going, he led James toward Cortez and the others.

“You’re late.”  Regan’s voice was soft, breath warm against his skin before pulling back just enough to watch him smile.  “Thought I told you to come get me.”  She leaned again in to nuzzle at his throat, inhaling deeply.  By the Maker, she’d missed this … the feel of his skin against hers, his arms tight around her.  She almost wished he wasn’t wearing his normal uniform, but it _did_ look good on him.  

“Sorry,” he murmured sheepishly, shivering at her touch.  It was like all his nerves were on high alert with her presence.  “We … ran into a little trouble with the Normandy.”  She’d understand once she saw the wreckage.  He still hadn’t been able to get it repaired, but that didn’t matter quite so much now.  He pulled at the band holding her hair in a ponytail, releasing it so he could run his fingers through the red waves; it was longer than he remembered, but he’d missed this so much.  “Forgive me?”

“One condition.” She rested a hand against his cheek, fingers tracing along his hairline.  

“What ….”  His voice cracked as he swallowed.  Fingers dug into her hips.  “What’s the condition?”

Her lips brushed against his ear when she leaned in.  He could feel her tongue teasing along his skin before she whispered her answer.  “Kiss me.”

He just smiled for a moment before pressing his lips to hers.  He’d been dreaming of this since they’d parted last.  He didn’t know how she found him … didn’t really care.  All that mattered was that she was back, and by whatever god was listening, he wasn’t going to let her go again.  She was here in his arms and he was in hers.  This was exactly where he belonged.  When they finally broke apart, he tried to gather his thoughts, but he couldn’t focus on anything but her in his arms.

“Happy birthday,” she whispered, finally taking a breath.  There was so much more she wanted to say … to do … but in the middle of this strange jungle was not the place for it.  “You’ll get the rest of your present later.”  With that promise, she kissed him again, holding him as tightly as she could manage while not quite dropping her rifle.

“ _Best_ birthday present ever.” Kaidan buried his nose in her hair, not wanting to let go.  But they couldn’t just stand here forever, could they?  They would eventually need shelter, if nothing else.  “We … we should get you back to the Normandy,” he finally said, running his thumb over her lips.  “Everyone will want to see you.”  And he needed to grab something he’d left on the ship; he hadn’t been expecting to run into _her_ out here.

“Will I get the same kind of greeting from them?”  She kept her voice light, teasing in spite of the thousands of butterflies dancing around in her stomach.  She needed to take a moment to compose herself.  This close to him after so long without; it took all of her self-control not to pull him back to her again.  She’d spent far too long away from him.

“I certainly hope not.”  He brushed his fingertips along her cheek.  “I don’t know if I could take it.”  He knew she was kidding; that teasing glint in her eye gave her away.  He waited almost patiently while she radioed Grunt, only to discover that he and James had made it back to her ship and were currently guiding Cortez to an area closer to the Normandy’s crash site.  

“It … looks like we’re on our own.”  She smiled shyly and reached for his hand.  “Walk me back to your place?”  

He didn’t bother hiding his answering grin.  Fingers lacing with hers, they walked hand in hand, doing their best to catch each other up on what had happened since they’d last parted.  Kaidan had a bit more to tell than she did, honestly.  Most of what Regan could say consisted of ‘Miranda made me do this’, or ‘Chakwas made me do that until I felt like my head would explode’.


	4. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regan and Kaidan have reunited and were last seen making their way through the trees on their way back to the Normandy. How will the others react to seeing her? And how will Joker react to her showing up?

Her return to the Normandy was greeted with cheers, pretty much as Kaidan had expected.  He watched her get whisked into hug after hug from their friends.  Even Javik pulled her into an embrace, though it was awkward.  The only one missing was Joker.

“He’s … in the med bay.”  Liara chewed on her lip, a habit she’d picked up from Shepard long ago and, up until recently, done a very good job of hiding.  “He has not been taking things well.”

“What …?”

“EDI shut down.”  Kaidan wrapped an arm around her waist and sighed.  “Whatever you ….  Whatever the Crucible did to the Relays and the Reapers … it shut her down too.”

“He was the one who found her.”

“Well, shit.”  Regan felt sick to her stomach.  That stupid hologram … child … thing _had_ said that destroying the Reapers would wipe out synthetic life.  But she hadn’t expected it to hit EDI too.  But EDI had given her something … hadn’t she?  “Can I … can I see him … her … them?”

~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

“Joker?”  

Regan’s voice didn’t rise above a whisper.  She held Kaidan’s hand as she made her way into the med bay.  What could she even begin to say to her friend?  He’d been there through everything with her … more than even Garrus had been, and whatever she’d done to save humanity … to save the _galaxy_ , had cost him the love of his life.  But he didn’t know about the precautions … or the plan.  She just hoped the others’ engineering and tinkering had actually worked.  

He _finally_ looked over, at least acknowledging her presence.  

“I know you’re upset.”   _Upset_?  That was an understatement, wasn’t it?  “But there’s someone who wanted to speak to you.”  She motioned Kaidan closer and reached under the collar to pull out the pendant.  “I hope this works,” she muttered, slipping her medallion over her head and pulling a nearly invisible cord from the side.  She plugged the end of that cord into an equally invisible port on Kaidan’s pendant and waited.

There was whirring and beeping and a sort of crackling sound suddenly coming from the pendant.  Soon, a familiar voice echoed through the med bay.  “Jeff?”  EDI’s voice was a little unsteady, as if unsure of what was going on.  “Thank you for keeping my body safe.”

Kaidan and Joker both stared, wide-eyed at the woman.  She had somehow managed to bring EDI back?  “Commander, is that … is that really her?”  Joker couldn’t believe his ears.  She had no form, but that voice certainly sounded like his EDI, almost exactly how she sounded when she was _just_ the ship.  How had Shepard managed that?

“It is me, Jeff,” EDI replied before Regan could.  “The commander and I tried to plan for all contingencies; the destruction of synthetics was always a real possibility.  We devised this safeguard in case that came to pass.  I have been here all along, without enough power or an outlet to speak.”

Regan had to bite back a laugh as Joker leapt off the table and grabbed at her hand.  “Careful, Joker; you don’t want to shatter your legs, do you?”  She glanced at Kaidan and winked before returning her attention to the pilot.  “You still have EDI’s body, right?”  When he nodded, she smiled.  “Good.  EDI and Miranda _think_ this will let us … put her back inside.  She won’t be quite as adept at some combat things this time around, but she should be able to function.”  

Joker didn’t say anything; he just did his best to scramble to what had been designated as his room.  Could it really be true?  Could they _really_ give him back EDI?  Kaidan got Shepard back, why couldn’t the woman he loved come back, too?  He’d kept her body because he couldn’t bear the thought that it might be parted out.  Sure, they needed tech, but they didn’t need to destroy _her_ too, did they?  

“Jeff, we do not know if this will work.”  EDI’s warning came just as Regan found the port required.  The AI knew Joker would be chomping at the bit, to use a human expression, for her to return to the body she’d inhabited.  It was strange; she felt almost … human while in that form.  She understood why Shepard had chosen to destroy the Reapers, and couldn’t really fault her for it.  To remove the threat of the Reapers was what she had signed on for.  That was one reason she had worked so diligently with Miranda and Shepard to create this backup and figure out how to use it.  

“It’ll work,” was all Jeff would say.  He repeated the phrase over and over as Regan warned him that once she plugged the pendants into the body, EDI wouldn’t be able to communicate when them until the upload was complete and no one knew exactly how long it would take; the first time had been completely accidental.  Then, all there was to do was wait.  He appreciated Shepard and Kaidan staying with him; if he’d been alone, he would have gone mad.  Instead, he spent the time listening to Regan retell what had happened to her after she’d gotten Kaidan onto the Normandy.

A few hours passed before the upload finished and all three watched the form in front of them for signs of life.  It took a few minutes, but eventually the eyelids fluttered open and EDI stared back at them.  “Is it necessary for everyone to stare?” she asked, looking from person to person.  It seemed the upload worked, and went much smoother than the previous time.  “I thank you, Shepard, for your assistance in this.”

“Not a problem, EDI,” Regan grinned, reaching out for Kaidan’s hand.  She’d been careful not to distract herself with his touch until the EDI situation had been resolved.  But now that the AI was back in her body, there was nothing stopping her.  “Maybe you can get him back on schedule with his meds.  I hear Dr. Michel was having … issues getting him to take care of himself.”  She ignored the squawk of protest from Joker and bid the pair goodbye.  She wanted to be able to just sit, somewhere, with Kaidan for a while.  She needed to relax.

When they made their way outside, Cortez was waiting for them.  “I have some … news, Commander,” he sighed.  He wasn’t entirely sure if it was good news or bad.  It all depended on how one looked at it, he supposed.  When she prompted him for details, the pilot glanced at the ship he’d flown from Earth.  “We … only have enough fuel to make the run to Tuchanka.  There’s no way we’d be able to make it back here, or to Earth.  Wrex doesn’t think his people have a ship with enough fuel right now to help.”

“So … anyone who doesn’t want to _stay_ on Tuchanka won’t be able to return to Earth?” Regan clarified.  “And whoever goes to Tuchanka with the krogan won’t be able to get back here, either?”  When Cortez nodded, she sighed.  Even now, things seemed to work against her.  She looked at Kaidan and smiled sadly.  She didn’t want to leave him again, but she didn’t want to force him to leave this planet for the rather barren Tuchanka.  “Are there any volunteers to travel with the krogan?”

Just as Cortez was about to reply, Wrex interrupted, saying that they could handle the ship on their own; no one _needed_ to come with them.  Their planet was not the most hospitable place for anyone other than krogan, and even if someone _wanted_ to come with them, there would very likely be nothing to sustain any other species for any length of time.  If Regan, Tali and EDI could program the autopilot a little more, it should be relatively easy for the krogan to get home.  And once home, they had the coordinates so that, if fuel was found, they could come back to visit.

    ~~~~~~~~~~     ~~~~~~~~~~     ~~~~~~~~~~     ~~~~~~~~~~     

The krogan were gone.  The human population of this new planet had nearly doubled, and the alien population had grown a little as well.  All in all, there were enough hands to build a relatively comfortable settlement.  Kaidan knew there would need to be planning sessions, some sort of government … a council of sorts.  He was almost positive who would be asked to head it, and that concerned him.  She didn’t need any more pressure.  She’d already been through so much.  

They were curled up against each other on the beach, watching James, Cortez and some of the men playing some sort of game … it looked a little like volleyball, but … not quite.  Kaidan sighed as she lazily stroked a hand along his chest, loving the feel of her skin against his.  It had only been a week since she’d come back to him, but it was like they’d been together forever.  With a content smile, he turned to look at her.  “I have a request,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her quickly.

She was happy.  For once, she felt like things were actually working out right.  There were no more Reapers, no more Cerberus.  She didn’t have to worry about being shot at every five seconds.  She was finally in the arms of the man she’d grown to love.  Life was finally … good.  “What’s that?” she asked, closing her eyes as his lips touched hers.

He shifted, reluctantly dislodging her from his arms.  He hadn’t wanted to move, but he felt compelled to do this as properly as possible.  He couldn’t ask her parents for permission.  He couldn’t introduce her to his folks … yet.  But he _could_ at least ask her properly.  Moving to one knee, he tried to ignore the thrumming of his heart in his throat.  He reached out for her hand, held out a small box and said three little words that knocked her for a loop.  “Marry me, Shepard.”

Regan couldn’t help but blink … and stare at him at first.  Her brain seemed to misfire over and over again, unable to grasp what he just said.   _‘He wants to … marry … me?’_  She glanced down at their joined hands, then at the small box and closed her eyes, trying to focus.  She needed to answer … didn’t she?  Yes, she did, and fast.  Taking a breath, she squeezed his hand and nodded, whispering, “Of course I will, Kaidan.  It would be an honor.”

She said yes!  He could hardly believe it.  She said she’d marry him!  Kaidan broke into a wide grin and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her as he nuzzled her throat.  “Thank you, Shepard,” he whispered, nibbling lightly.  “For giving me a chance to apologize.  For coming back for me. For everything.”  He couldn’t say another word, since she managed to direct his lips to hers.  Instead, he lost himself in her kiss, not caring that anyone else could see them, not caring that he just dropped the box containing the ring he’d picked out on the Citadel as soon as he’d been discharged from the hospital.  All that mattered was that she was going to be his wife.  “I love you,” he whispered when they broke apart for air.

“And I love you, Kaidan.”  Regan smiled as she pulled him back to her for another kiss; she had months of missed kisses to make up for, after all.  But there was one more thing she needed to say.  Pushing back, she licked her lips and murmured, “It may be a moot point, now, but I’m retiring from the military.  No more missions where I’m likely to die.”

“Good.”  Kaidan was glad he wouldn’t have to go through that again.  It had nearly killed him, losing her for a third time.  “I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you _again_.”  She assured him he wouldn’t have to worry about that again, then rolled, maneuvering herself to straddle his waist as she bent down to kiss him again.  He couldn’t wait to get her somewhere private.  They had to work at helping the human race repopulate, after all … didn’t they?  “I couldn’t imagine a better birthday present than having you come back to me.”

She was just about to say something clever when a projectile came hurtling toward them, narrowly missing her head.  “Come on, you two,” James laughed, picking up the escaped ball.  “Twenty credits says Cortez and I can kick your butts in a match.”  He ignored the grumpy look from Kaidan; he knew the two would go off together soon enough.  Shepard’s cabin had mostly held up in the crash, so the pair had a perfect place for privacy.  If they chose to be all mushy out where he could see, it was only fair that he disrupt them.

“You have _no_ idea what you’re getting into,” Regan growled playfully.  She quickly moved to her feet and extended a hand to help her … fiancé up.  That sounded so strange.  “Let’s go show them what a biotic can do,” she grinned.  Sometimes, she wished she had the skills he did; it would have given them something else they could practice together.  But they’d done alright, and her talents as a sniper had come in handy quite often.  It just wouldn’t be quite as much help in this game.

“You got it, Shepard,” Kaidan grinned, letting her pull him up.  He knew James didn’t have any ulterior motives for interrupting the pair.  The younger man just enjoyed the friendly competition.  Vega didn’t know, however, that Kaidan had excelled at volleyball in BAaT and boot camp.  His friends always joked that his biotics gave him an unfair advantage.  “How about we make it a little more interesting,” he taunted, winking at Shepard.  When James prompted him for details, he shrugged.  “When we win, you and Cortez have to take over our chores for the week.”

“And when _we_ win,” James countered, “you two take ours.”  He was confident that he and Steve could take on the lovebirds.  They were always distracted, after all.  It would be nice to have a week without having to stand guard or stock the pantries.  

Regan just laughed and stretched, knowing James was underestimating the pair.  Sure, they always seemed distracted, but the prospect of having a week without chores to get in the way was enticing.  “You’re on.”


End file.
